THE PASSING OF ARTHUR.
One night King Arthur saw Sir Gawain in a dream, and Gawain, who hadbeen killed, shrilly called out to him through the wind:
"Hail King! to-morrow you are going to pass away, and there's a land ofrest for you. Farewell!"
But when Arthur told his dream to Sir Bedivere, good old Sir Bediverereplied, "Don't mind what dreams tell you, but get your knights togetherand go out to the West to meet Sir Modred, who has stirred up againstyou so many of the knights you love. They all know in their hearts thatyou are king. Go and conquer them as of old."
So the king took his army by night and pushed upon Modred league afterleague, until they reached the Western part of Lyonesse where the longmountains ended in the moaning sea. There Modred's men could flee nofarther, so on the waste lands by the barren sea they began that lastdim weird battle of the West.
A white chill mist slept over all the land and water so that even Arthurbecame confused since he could not see which were his friends and whichwere his foes. Friends killed friends, some saw the faces of old ghostslooking in upon the battle. Spears were splintered, shields were broken,swords clashed, helmets were shattered, men shrieked and looked up toheaven for help but saw only the white, white mists. There were criesfor light and moans.
At last toward the close of the day a hush fell over the whole shore; abitter wind from the North blew the mist aside and the pale king lookedacross the battlefield. But no one was there only the waves breaking inamong the dead faces.
But bold Bedivere said: "My King! the man who hates you stands there,Modred, the traitor of your house!"
"Don't call this traitor a person of my house," the king replied. "Themen of my house are not those who have lived under one roof with me, butthose who always call me their king."
With that, Arthur dashed after Modred. Modred struck at the king'shelmet, which had grown thin with all his heathen wars. Arthur with hissword Excalibur struck Modred dead, then fell down himself almost killedwith the wound through his helmet.
Sir Bedivere lifted him up and carried him to a chapel near by.
"Take my sword, Excalibur," said the King, "and fling it out into themiddle of the sea, watch what happens to it and then come back at onceand tell me."
"It doesn't seem right to leave you all alone here," said Sir Bedivere,"when you are wounded and ill, but since you wish me to go, I will, andwill do all that you have told me."
He slipped away by zigzag paths, points and jutting rock to the shininglevel of the sea. There he drew out the sword Excalibur. The winter moonsparkled against its hilt and made it twinkle with its diamond sparks,with myriads of topaz lights and fine jewelry work. Bedivere gazed solong at it that both his eyes were dazzled as he stood, and he wonderedwhether he ought to throw away so beautiful a thing. At last he decidedto hide it away among the water-flags that grew along shore.
"Did you do as I said?" asked the king, when he saw him. "What did yousee?"
"I heard the ripple washing in the reeds," said Sir Bedivere, "and thewild water lapping on the rock."
"You are not giving me a true answer," said the king, faint and pale."It's shameful for men to lie. Quickly go again and as you are true anddear, do just as I bade you. Watch and bring me word."
Then Sir Bedivere went the second time and paced up and down beside thepebbly water, counting the dewey pebbles, but when he saw the wonderfulsword he clapped his hands together and cried:
"If I threw that sword away, a precious thing will be lost forever. TheKing is ill; he does not know what he is doing. His great sword ought tobe kept, then in long years hereafter people will look at it at thetournament and they will say: 'This was the great Arthur's swordExcalibur which was made by the lonely lady of the Lake, working in thedeep sea for nine years.'"
So the second time he hid Excalibur and strode very slowly back to theking.
"What did you see or what did you hear?" asked Arthur breathing veryheavily.
"I heard the water lapping on the rock and the long ripples washing inthe reeds."
"Unkind! miserable! untrue! unknightly!" cried Arthur, filled withanger. "I see what you are, for you are the only one left me of all theknights, yet you would betray me for my sword, either to sell it or likea girl, because you love its beauty. Go out now the third time and ifyou do not throw out my sword Excalibur I'll get up and kill you with myhands."
At this Sir Bedivere sprang up like a flash and ran down leaping lightlyover the ridges, plunged into the beds of bulrushes, clutched the sword,wheeled it round strongly and threw it as far as he could.
Excalibur made lightning in the moonlight as it flashed round and roundand whirled in an arch, shooting far out to the water. But before itquite dipped into the sea an arm robed in white samite, mystic andwonderful, rose out of the waves, caught it by the hilt, brandished itthree times and drew it under.
"Now I can see by your eyes that you have done it!" cried the King."Speak out; what have you seen or heard?"
"Sir King," cried Sir Bedivere, "I closed my eyes when I picked it up sothat I would not be turned from my purpose of throwing it into thewater, for I could live three lives, Sir King, and I wouldn't again seesuch a wonderful thing as your sword. Sir, I threw it out with bothhands, wheeling it round and when I looked an arm robed in white samitereached up out of the water and caught it by the hilt, brandished itthree times and drew it under."
"Carry me to the shore," said the king.
AN ARM ROBED IN WHITE SAMITE.]
So Bedivere lifted him up and walked as swiftly as he could from theridge, heavily, heavily down to the beach. As they reached the shorethey saw a black barge beside the water filled with stately people alldressed in black. Among the people were three queens wearing crowns ofgold.
"Put me into the barge," cried Arthur.
So they came to the barge and the three queens held out their hands andtook the king.
The tallest and fairest of them held his head upon her lap loosed hisshattered helmet and chafed his hands, and moaned tenderly over him.
"Ah, my lord Arthur," cried Sir Bedivere, "where shall I go now? Forthe old times are past now and the whole Round Table is broken."
"Go and pray," cried the king. "Farewell, for I am going a very long wayto the lovely Island-valley of Avilion where it will never hail nor rainnor snow, and where the loud winds never blow. It lies in deep meadows,beautiful with lawns and fruit trees and flowery glens."
Then the barge set sail and oar, and moved away from the shore.
"The king is gone!" groaned Bedivere.
He walked away from the shore and climbed up to the highest peaks andridges about him and looked far, far away. And from far away out beyondthe world he thought he heard sounds from a beautiful city as if everyone in it all together were welcoming a great King who had just comeback from his wars.
END.
Transcriber's Note:
Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.There are inconsistencies with italicising text that refers toillustrations. I have left these as in the original text.
Corrections made include the following: p34. ecstacy => ecstasy p37. meaintime => meantime p52. magnificientn => magnificent p66. Springly => Springing p75. Geriant => Geraint p90. jealously => jealousy p100. though => through p101. passed => past p101. musn't => mustn't p106. heathern => heathen p106. Gunievere => Guinevere p117. to => that p146. Mordred => Modred
Tales from Tennyson Page 11